Elite seed production subsidies in 2026 will only apply to seeds selected in Russia - Lut

KAZAN. Aug 21 (Interfax) - Subsidies for elite seed production in Russia in 2026 will only be applicable to domestically selected seeds, Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut said.

"From next year - we have finally finished it - there will be a subsidy mechanism for producers of elite seeds, only for seeds selected in Russia. We will only support domestic selection in terms of elite seeds," Lut said during a plenary session at the Russian Field - 2025 All-Russian Forum on Breeding and Seed Production in Kazan on Thursday.

She said that in order to introduce this measure "there were certain legal nuances that we were unable to sort out [previously], and we will therefore solve them next year".

The minister said that research development in the field of selection and seed production as well as seed selection and production centers remained priority areas for preferential lending. "Subsidizing loans for scientific research and selection and production centers is still a priority; nothing has changed," she said.

Lut said that the share of Russian seeds used by domestic farmers in 2024 was 67.6%, while the Food Security Doctrine stipulates that this should be at least 75%.